Parents are always excited for their child to meet milestones and make the transition to the next stage. We record our child’s first steps, giggles, and spoonfuls of squash. We then get excited about transitioning our toddlers from a crib to a big kid bed…until they turn on us and create a night time misery too scary to explain unless you’ve already been there. Let us set the stage…

The first night goes so well. Your daughter or son feels so BIG and independent about sleeping in a big bed that they are nearly begging to go to sleep. After a few night time stories and a kiss goodnight, you leave a crack in the door and head downstairs to have some much needed adult time with your spouse. You look at each other and breathe a sigh of relief and feel so proud you’ve created such amazing and obedient children. For some of you, your nights go just like that and you sip wine on the couch and binge watch all the shows you need to catch up on and live happily ever after.

For the rest of us baggy-eyed, crazy, tired people, our night looks more like this scenario…your child quietly sneaks downstairs and stands in the doorway to the family room and glares at you wide-eyed with her hair in her face, mimicking a Poltergeist movie, scaring you to near death. You take turns with your spouse, taking her back to her room and read her another story, give her a sip of water, plug in another night light, leave the door wide open. She pleads and pleads with you to stay with her forever. We all love our children and would do anything for them. So, sure, why not lay down and snuggle your toddler in their big kid bed on their first night? They are growing up too fast anyway. One night won’t hurt, right?!

People will argue what’s best for their child’s sleep schedules, but we can only share what works for our family (and the families of our amazing customers across the country). We wanted to set a routine with our toddlers that involved independence, consistency, courage, respect, and encouragement. When our children feel included in the process, whether it be brushing their teeth, potty training, or sleep training, we see better results. We wanted to make bed time a comforting and empowering process for our kids. When we searched for sleep aides and tools to help us create this environment for them, none of them gave us the results we were looking for. So, out of desperation, need and determination, we created SleeperHero.

SleeperHero is a super powered doll that comes with a storybook. This unique duo helps children (and parents) conquer their bedtime struggles. The book is a tale about a boy that has trouble staying in his bed at night. That is until he is introduced to a SleeperHero! SleeperHero is a doll with a special light on its chest that shines bright in the dark, wards off imaginary bad guys and teaches them when its an okay time to get out of bed in the morning. The light changes from red to green. Red means “stay in bed” and green means “rise and shine”. SleeperHero is essentially a snuggle buddy, night light, and clock that signals sleep and wake times for children too young to tell time. It travels on vacation and to sleepovers, so you can keep a consistent and successful sleep routine wherever you go!

To align with our plan to involve our children in the sleep routine, we created printables and tips to do just that!There is a Coloring Page of SleeperHero that we feel is best to introduce first to get your child excited and familiar with SleeperHero. After reading the story and introducing the doll, there’s a Sleep Chart to help monitor progress. Use checks or stickers to mark successful nights. Then create a rewards system with your child and involve them in this process as well.

Many parents will argue that they won’t partake in “bribery” with their children. A rewards system isn’t bribery. Rewards don’t always have to be treats or toys to see results. You set up the rewards that work best for your family. It can be an extra book read to them, 5 extra minutes of snuggle time, breakfast for dinner, family game night. When they pick their rewards, they’re more inclined to work harder to earn them. When you introduce a sleep chart, figure out how many successful nights are needed for your child to have “mastered” the sleep routine. It can be a few weeks, a month, or a few months. Just make sure you talk about mastery so they know what to work towards. Continue to monitor their progress and talk to them about the good nights and bad nights and how they turned into rewards and consequences. Once your child masters their sleep routine, honor them with our Certificate of Courage and hang in in a place for all to see! Take their picture with their certificate and make a big deal about it!

SleeperHero has been a game changer for us. Our four year old daughter and three year old son love their SleeperHero. They pack it in their overnight bags to Grandma and Grandpa’s and when we go on vacation. We’ve also been surprised by this added bonus…when they are playing in the evening and the SleeperHero turns red, they bring it to us and tell us it’s time to go to bed! I mean, really?! We get sidetracked studying with our older two children or cleaning up in the kitchen, and our toddlers remind us it’s time for them to go to bed. Alleluia!

Don’t just take our word for it, hear what others have to say about SleeperHero! We are so humbled and excited to hear our customers reach out and tell us SleeperHero is changing their sleep habits. Families are getting the rest they need and they are thanking us for it. Although we set out to create SleeperHero to help families get much needed sleep, it’s always wonderful to hear the success stories and know we’ve made a small difference.

Enter win your own SleeperHero!

Enter below for the chance to win your own SleepHero and book (value $49.99) Please note that this giveaway is only open to US entrants.

This post was written by Nicole Johnson, Founder and Lead Sleep Consultant of The Baby Sleep Site®

This new baby product came across my desk called the Babocush, and the concept alone is dividing parents once again. The product is designed to simulate a baby being held on your shoulder and rocked back and forth, with vibrations, and all with a heartbeat sound. The company says it’s perfect for babies with colic and/or reflux.

But, some nay-sayers are asking the question whether this is really a good thing. What about bonding? What about actually being close to your mom (or mum, given this is a U.K. company)? A couple of comments went so far as to say that if you don’t have time to hold your baby, don’t have one! Ouch!

And so the mommy wars rage on, with moms on both “sides” claiming, “Do it my way or you are a terrible parent!”

Nicole’s Take on the Babocush

So, in the interest of contributing positive voice to this, Let me ask you a question: thousands of years ago, did our ancestral moms not have a village? If you were gathering berries, perhaps another woman in the village held your baby. Yes, there’s historical evidence for baby-wearing, but I’m sure babies were passed around and around and doted on. And, for goodness sakes, we used to have wet nurses who breastfed babies!
Nowadays, many of us are lucky to even have grandma come over for a week or two after the baby is born. What’s more, many of us are cooking, cleaning, working, and/or chasing after toddlers.

Add to that the fact that today, we know far more about temperament, and we know that all babies are not necessarily “easy”. Some are spirited and high-needs. What about the babies who literally must be held 24/7? (And yes, they do exist; we have had their parents as clients!)

Do moms really think parents are trying to replace themselves with a product like the Babocush? Do people really think you’d carry a baby to term for 40 weeks of pregnancy and then plop them into a machine all day, every day?
Like many baby products such as the pacifier, swaddle blanket, or stroller, isn’t the Babocush just another tool for your toolbox? You use it when you need to, which is almost certainly NOT all the time. And, you make sure it’s safe. As one of our sleep consultants pointed out when we were discussing it internally, it may be difficult to keep the baby safe from older siblings or things being dropped, but just like any other tool, you take precautions. And, just like you wouldn’t put your stroller in the unlocked position at the top of a hill unattended, you wouldn’t leave your baby in the Babocush unattended either. And, most importantly, the Babocush is NOT being sold as a sleep space. To guard against SIDS, babies should be placed on their backs to sleep.

I think we can all agree that all of us moms want the best for our babies and to love on them much of the day after we’ve carried them for 9 months. But, when you have a high needs baby for one reason or another, sometimes having a few minutes to breathe is all you need to regroup. And, don’t we all need that sometimes?

As I wrap this up, I think it’s appropriate to let Kerry Nevins, creator of Babocush, share this:

“When we mum’s give a bit of love and attention to ourselves, we have so much more to give to others and from a more calm and relaxed place. Never feel guilty for wanting a few moments here and there to yourself, it doesn’t make you an uncaring parent plus some of us don’t have as much support from family and friends to be there and hold the baby or help around the house etc as others do. Parenthood can be a lonely place and the stress of a baby crying can play havoc with our emotions. Nothing however can or should replace the love, care and attention a parent can give. xx”

I, for one, couldn’t agree more. When you have a high needs baby as I did, sometimes you just need a break to be a better mom. And, with that I will end with saying #endmommywars.

Your turn, readers! What do YOU think of the Babocush?

Readers, we are excited to bring you this interview today, with Miracle Blanket founder Mike Gattan. We are BIG fans of the Miracle Blanket around here – we recommend it to many clients, and Nicole used it with her two boys, when they were babies! And we’re quite pleased that Nicole is now listed as one of the resident sleep experts on www.miracleblanket.com – check out our page there!

In our work with the crew over at Miracle Blanket, we had the chance to talk a bit with Miracle Blanket founder and creator Mike Gatten. Read on, and hear in Mike’s own words why the Miracle Blanket is such a ‘miracle’ of a product!

An Interview With Miracle Blanket Founder Mike Gatten

Mike, let’s start with the background stuff first. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family!

“While the Miracle Blanket has won numerous awards and received thousands of testimonials from satisfied customers, the best honor I’ve received so far has been “#1 Dad” for 18 years running (I have a coffee mug to prove it!).

I have three sons Chandler (18), Taylor (16), and Jake (12). In fact, my son Jake inspired the invention of the Miracle Blanket as an infant.

I am a California native, but today call New Mexico home. When I’m not swaddling infants, I enjoy spending time with my sons, weightlifting, camping, hiking, and going to the movies.”

So, what led you to create the Miracle Blanket?

“Our first and third sons were extremely colicky babies; the first was the embodiment of severe colic. Needless to say, no one in my house slept for four months that first time around. When our third son, Jake, came along and began to show signs of colic, I knew there had to be a way to stop it.

By the time Jake was eight weeks old, I had come up with the concept for what today is known as the original Miracle Blanket design. I felt I was lucky enough to have invented the “magic” combination of ingredients to create a veritable “off switch” for crying and sleepless babies.

Since my family had the advantage of the Miracle Blanket, I am very aware of the effectiveness of the blanket. And because Chandler, our first son, didn’t experience the Miracle Blanket, I have an incredible perspective on life with the blanket compared to life without it. We knew we had to get this into as many hands as possible as soon as possible and help families around the world get a better night’s sleep.”

As you know, there are a ton of swaddling blankets on the market today. How is the Miracle Blanket different from other swaddling blankets out there?

“The Miracle Blanket is the #1 pediatrician recommended blanket on the market. Research has shown that the best two eliminators for fussiness in babies are classic swaddling and gentle abdominal pressure.

A lateral belly wrap, a very old Irish remedy for fussiness, is a long band of “stretchy” fabric that is wrapped around a babies abdomen to provide a gentle, even, lateral pressure around the baby’s mid-section. Ours is the first and only product that combines these two incredibly effective solutions in one product.

Because of the way our design combines the perfect classic swaddle with the even, horizontal pressure of the lateral belly wrap, it seems to work better than anyone ever thought possible.

It is also important to point out that the Miracle Blanket can’t impede the development of a baby’s hips and knees. As baby grows, her legs extend beyond the tight portion of the wrap for free movement and healthy joint development.”

What problems does the Miracle Blanket solve for families?

“Simply put, the Miracle Blanket helps families get a better night sleep. Our blanket is the only one successfully designed to help a baby sleep better, deeper and longer. When baby sleeps longer, the whole family can be more rested, refreshed and relaxed in the morning.

What kind of response do you hear from parents, regarding their use of the Miracle Blanket?

There is nothing better than receiving positive feedback from a happy and well-rested parent! We’ve heard from parents that have told us the Miracle Blanket is the only swaddle that keeps baby tightly wrapped and relaxed. Some parents have told us that their baby relaxes just at the sight of the Miracle Blanket!”

Okay, let’s end with a fun question – as a parent, if you could offer one piece of advice to a first-time mom, what would it be?

“I recommend that a first-time mom focus on helping her baby self-soothe. It’s important that a baby can calm herself down and fall asleep on her own. Swaddling a newborn is the first step and tool to teaching baby to fall asleep on her own.”

Help Your Baby Sleep Better, With Resources From The Baby Sleep Site®!

If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.

For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.

Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part – members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!

If you are looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation, and want plenty support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations. Your consultation package will provide you with the chance to interact one-on-one with a trained sleep consultant, who will create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for your family and then work to help you implement it at home.

*******************************************************************************************Want FREE sleep help that you can put to use right away? Download a copy of our free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night! The guide is available to download instantly, which means you can start using the techniques in it as early as tonight. So download now, and learn why your baby is waking at night – and what you can do about it.

A better night’s sleep could be just a few clicks away. So don’t wait – download now, and start your journey to better sleep tonight!
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Disclosure: The Miracle Blanket link included in this post is an Amazon affiliate link. As an Amazon affiliate, The Baby Sleep Site® earns a small percentage of each sale that happens via our affiliate link. This will not affect your purchase price in any way.